Tiptoe Through the Tulips...

I love my tulips. It verges on not healthy. It is my favorite part of spring to see the tulips that I have planted along the side of the house in full bloom. Each year after the zoo finishes their zoo bloom, I buy a bag of bulbs and plant more. I cannot get enough. It makes me happy every time I pull into my driveway.

The kids and I have been weeding and watering around them and getting the garden ready and planted and it has been wonderful. I love it. Everything but the pollen, but that's soon to end...

So, back to my tulips. As I was lying on the couch after dinner, my mom got a curious look on her face and said "uh, miss, aren't those your tulips that just went by your house?" I jumped up to the window to see a little boy about 5 holding 10 of my precious tulips in assorted disarray and about another 6 in various forms of carnage near the yard and driveway.

I did what anyone would have done, I went after him- barefoot and pregnant. I caught up with him and learned that his sister had wanted to put the flowers in her hair. She had taken off to let her brother deal with the consequences (typical older sibling). I found their older sister and eventually got to their house. The little girls mom was embarrassed as I told her what had happened. As angry as I was about my flowers being ruined, I couldn't help but soften a bit to think that this little girl couldn't help herself. When she finally appeared at the end of the driveway, I told her I wasn't angry with her, just disappointed. I pointed out that not only had she taken flowers that hadn't belonged to her, but she RIPPED OUT THE BULBS and those flowers couldn't grow back. She felt bad and apologized. I told her if she had asked, I would have cut flowers for her to take, she didn't have to steal. I then gave her mom the flowers and left.

The sad thing is that up until the moment the words left my mouth, I'm not sure what I would have done if she had asked if she could have one of my flowers. Yes. I am that selfish.